All posts by Francis Mitterrand

Restomod

The Theon R is a Porsche 964 with 500 HP

British company Theon Design dedicated to creating the ultimate air-cooled Porsche 911 has presented its latest project, Theon R. It is a lightweight car based on the Porsche 964.

The Theon R weighs less than 1,000 kilograms thanks to the use of carbon fiber used in Formula 1, which means it is lighter than the newer model GT3 RS (1,482 kg) and the original Miata (1,002 kg). This material was used in the body and interior panels. It is equipped with a large rear wing reminiscent of the 1974 Carrera RSR, carbon ceramic brakes, a Wavetrac limited-slip differential, independently adjustable MCS shock absorbers, and Minilite-style rims.

It is powered by an air-cooled 4.0-L flat-six engine with 500 hp (368 kW). That’s less than the 525 hp (386 kW) of the modern GT3 RS, but the Theon R’s advantage is a better power-to-weight ratio. It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.2 seconds, while it takes 6.5 seconds to reach 160 km/h (99 mph). That’s remarkable considering the GT3 RS (2025) achieves an almost identical time.

Theon Design will produce only 24 units of this car and it will take around 18 months for the builds to be completed. When it comes to price, the Theon R costs just over $850,000 and that doesn’t include the donor 964, any shipping costs, or taxes.

Source: Theon Design

Gallery:

The Theon R is a Porsche 964 with 500 HP
News

The European EV market is growing

The European EV market has been in crisis for a long time, and European manufacturers are finding it increasingly difficult to cope with the Chinese, which produce electric cars at a speed unattainable for any European brand. However, despite the difficulties, the European market is showing signs of recovery.

A few years ago, European manufacturers set the goal of becoming completely CO2 neutral by 2030, but that goal proved to be unattainable over time, primarily because of the supply chain, which was an unsolvable problem for most companies. In the meantime, Chinese auto makers developed electric cars at a speed that was not expected, or others overestimated their capabilities, so their cheap EVs, supported by government subsidies, began to arrive in large numbers on the European market.

European manufacturers began to sink and their cars were no longer competitive with Chinese ones. They began to look for a solution to the growing crisis and to demand protection from their governments. In 2023, the EU launched an investigation into the privileged position of electric vehicles produced in China due to subsidies, which after a year resulted in the introduction of additional customs duties.

Companies have set a new goal of complete CO2 neutrality by 2035, but many countries are not showing the necessary support to make this transition happen. At the end of 2023, Germany ended its plan to help customers and abolished subsidies. However, the Germans are aware that they must return to eco-bonuses if they want to increase sales. Also this month, France announced plans to reduce government support for the purchase of electric cars.

In September, almost 300,000 EVs were sold in Europe, which is an increase of 4.2% compared to last year. Great Britain saw the highest growth of 24 percent, while the best-selling models were the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y.

Big challenges await Europe in the coming years, and the first of them is the Euro 7 standard. Expectations have been lowered, so analysts hope that in 2025, 3.78 million EVs will be sold on the European market, and by the end of the decade, that number should reach 9.78 million.

Source: Reuters

Auctions

2006 Ferrari 248 F1 driven by Michael Schumacher is up for sale

One of the best Formula 1 drivers ever, Michael Schumacher, does not appear in public after the accident, and there is little information that reveals anything about his condition. He retired in 2006 from the sport, although he later made a brief return with Mercedes from 2010 to 2012. Now, one of the last cars he drove in his final season, the 2006 Ferrari 248 F1, is up for auction.

This 248 F1 is one of the eight cars that Ferrari produced for the 2006 season. It was used for the first time at the Imola Circuit, and with this car Schumacher won pole position and achieved his first of a total of five that season (San Marino, European, United States, French, and German Grands Prix) and three other places (Spain, Great Britain and Canada). After the Hungarian Grand Prix, the car was retired.

It is powered by a new 90-degree Type-056 2.4-liter V8 engine with around 730 hp (537 kW) mated to a seven-speed gearbox. It was the first V8 unit to power a Ferrari Grand Prix car since the Championship-winning 158 of 1964.

The car was bought from Ferrari by a private collector in December 2007 and remains in his collection to this day. It is in excellent condition and comes with a Ferrari Classiche certificate and was exhibited at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles in 2017 as part of the “Seeing Red: 70 years of Ferrari” exhibition. It was also used in several private tests on the Fiorano circuit.

This unquestionably one of the most successful Michael Schumacher-raced Ferraris of all-time, will be offered at an auction that will take place on Thursday, November 14, 2024.

Source: RM Sotheby’s

Gallery:

2006 Ferrari 248 F1 driven by Michael Schumacher is up for sale